Wednesday, January 8, 2025

This is a free preview of my daily report – a sharp, no-fluff briefing delivered to your inbox by 7 AM every weekday.

Whether you’re an elected official, staff member, policy professional, or just someone who needs to know the latest happenings before the day gets away from you, my report distills the noise into digestible analysis.

Speaker's Race. In his first X post since January 1, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wrote 431 words calling for Republican unity around the GOP Caucus nominee. Patrick responded specifically to Rep. Carl Tepper's comments during a recent radio interview with Chad Hasty. Patrick wrote in part:

Rep. Tepper responded:

Rep. Candy Noble is also offering the public a detailed view into her thinking on the race. She sent a detailed email yesterday morning outlining her position and thinking. While she supports Rep. Cook, she notes the change in tone from the last Speaker vote.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Ken Paxton wrapped up a two-day tour targeting Republican House members who are supporting Rep. Burrows for Speaker. The tour targeted the following members:

• Rep. Charlie Geren (HD 89—Fort Worth)
• Rep.-elect John McQueeney (HD 97—Fort Worth)
• Rep. Giovanni Capriglione (HD 98—Southlake)
• Rep. Cody Harris (HD 8—Palestine)
• Rep. Jay Dean (HD 7—Longview)
• Rep. Cole Hefner (HD 5—Mount Pleasant)
• Rep. Terry Wilson (HD 20—Georgetown)
• Rep. Will Metcalf (HD 16—Conroe)

After Paxton's rally in HD 20, the Williamson County GOP passed a resolution threatening to censure members who do not vote for Rep. Cook. I will write a little more on censures in tomorrow's report.

Lastly, when you hear whispers of that sleeper third candidate–or would it now be a fourth?–making an eleventh hour bid, remember that eight Republicans, one Democrat, and Robert Morrow all have active Declarations of Speaker Candidacy on file with the Texas Ethics Commission.

Those declarations bring with them special campaign finance reporting requirements, including reports due on January 2 and January 13. Per the Government Code, the declarations automatically expire the day the Speaker is elected unless otherwise withdrawn before then. You have to wonder why a member (or Robert Morrow) would leave the Declaration on file. (Thanks to Brad Johnson for flagging that Rep. Bryant withdrew his declaration last month.)

Winter Weather. The tradition of severe winter weather arriving in a session year continues. Gov. Abbott has directed increased readiness levels at the State Operations Center. While North Texas is expected to receive heavy precipitation, ERCOT expects normal grid conditions.

Governor Appointments. Governor Abbott has announced a few key appointments in recent days, including Justice Jimmy Blacklock as the 28th Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court and the Governor's General Counsel James P. Sullivan as the newest Justice on the Texas Supreme Court.

Gov. Abbott also appointed current Chair of the Texas Water Development Board Brooke Paup as the new Chair of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Most gubernatorial appointments must be confirmed by the Senate before the legislative session ends—either the session in which the appointment is made or the one immediately following a recess appointment.

Which invites some questions on appointments that Gov. Abbott has not announced. Namely, two seats on the Public Utility Commission remain vacant as of this writing. Does the Governor make these appointments within the next few weeks and subject his nominees to a potential public confirmation process on electric grid and energy issues? Or does he wait until June to avoid Senate confirmation until 2027?

Whistleblower Lawsuit. Two attorneys in the Ken Paxton Whistleblower lawsuit told Fox 7's Rudy Koski that they expect entry of a final judgment sometime in the next few months–and they are not ruling out a jury trial. The total could be upward of $10 million, more than three times the original settlement of $3.3 million.

Note the procedural difference: the previous $3.3 million was pursuant to a voluntary settlement agreement which required approval from the Legislature. The larger figure will be pursuant to a final judgment–a court order–which will still require appropriating but with less wiggle room and more certainty of collection.

Interim Joint Committee. The Joint Committee to Study the Effects of Media on Minors, led by Co-Chairs Sen. Bryan Hughes and Rep. Jared Patterson, convened yesterday for the final interim hearing. The Committee was formed as a result of House Bill 18 from the 88th.

The focus was on the harmful impact of social media on minors, with testimony from experts, advocates, and affected individuals. Chair Patterson highlighted the lack of meaningful reform from platforms like Snapchat, Meta, X, and TikTok, despite prior hearings. He linked social media to rising rates of youth self-harm, aggression, pornography addiction, and suicide. Patterson reaffirmed his filing of House Bill 186 to curb social media solicitation of minors.

For those interested in further reading on this issue, don't forget about the resources provided by the Legislative Reference Library.